Tag Archives: father

The world lost a musical legend, but more importantly, a wife lost her husband. their two sons (and daughter on the way) lost their father and Robert’s mother lost her son. He died on June 9, 2015, though the cause of death has not been disclosed. Please help us in making sure that his family is taken care of and all his expenses are covered in this time of need. This all happened suddenly and this page will be updated frequently with more details, but just know that any help you can give will be greatly appreciated. We are also working on a memorial show that will make him proud. We love you PH!

Be sure to tell your loved ones how important they are to you because tomorrow is not promised to any of us. From all his friends, fans and family, Thank you for your time and donation.

There has been a webpage to donate directly to his family in this time of crisis.

Please consider a donation of any size it would make a world of difference.

He was a loving partner to his wife, a great father of 2 with a daughter on the way right now.

Robert Alan Diaz – Biography

(September 17, 1975 – June 9, 2015) known by his stage name Pumpkinhead or P.H., was an American rapper and hip hop artist. He grew up in the Park Slope area of Brooklyn New york with his mother and younger sister.

Pumpkinhead love for hip hop started as a kid at age 10. He began writing rap lyrics during his 6th grade language arts class after hearing the song “Nightmares” by Dana Dane. He also stated he was influenced by Redman and the Leaders of the New School, as well as Doug E Fresh. He also cites his experience of meeting 2pac and witnessing his ability to write and record songs on the spot as a motivating factor in his emceeing.

Pumpkinhead got a break in New York City hip hop when a friend of his gave a demo tape to Bobbito Garcia of the Stretch & Bobbito Show on WKCR.

Pumpkinhead’s breakthrough single was 1997’s “Dynamic,” which became a staple of mixtapes in the late 1990s. The World Famous Beat Junkies featured the remix—featuring guest appearances by Poka Face, Meat Pie, Ocean, What ? What ?, CES, DCQ and The Bad Seed—on their second mix CD, The World Famous Beat Junkies, Vol. 2 in 1998.

Pumpkinhead has been a guest on several hip hop albums by other artists. He appears on Immortal Techniques’s Revolutionary part. 1 (2001) and Revolutionary vol. 2 (2003). He guest starred on JeanGrae’s 2003, EP the bootleg of the bootleg, appearing on the track “Code Red” with his brother Block Mcloud. In 2009, he started going by PH and released My Era (No Skinny Jeans Allowed), a mixtape remixing several 90’s classics.

Biggie Smalls, also known as “The Notorious B.I.G.,” was a revered hip-hop artist and face of East Coast Gangsta rap. He was shot and killed on March 9, 1997.

Synopsis

Born as Christopher Wallace on May 21, 1972, in Brooklyn, New York, Biggie Smalls, also known as Notorious B.I.G., became a drug dealer at a young age. He started experimenting with music as a teenager and, not long after, befriended Sean “Puffy” Combs. His 1994 debut album, Ready to Die, was a smash hit, and his long-running feud with fellow rapper, Tupac Shakur, helped to shape his career. Biggie was killed in Los Angeles on March 9, 1997.EARLY YEARS American hip-hop star Biggie Smalls was born as Christopher George Latore Wallace on May 21, 1972 in Brooklyn, New York, in the neighborhood of Bedford-Stuyvesant. Biggie, or “The Notorious B.I.G,” as he’d later become known, experienced a rough childhood—at an early age, he was surrounded by drug addicts and dealers. As a result, by his early teens, Biggie had joined the life that was all around him. “Hustlers were my heroes,” he once said. “Everything happened on the strip I grew up in. It didn’t matter where you went, it was all in your face.”At the age of 17, Biggie was arrested for selling crack, and spent nine months in a North Carolina prison before making bail. As he navigated his young, uncertain life, Biggie started making music. He hooked on with a crew called the “Old Gold Brothers,” and began experimenting on his own.Around his neighborhood, Biggie Smalls, as he called himself then, began building a reputation as a musician. After a tape of his landed in the hands of Mister Cee, a well-known DJ, Smalls was featured in the hip-hop publication,The Source.The article was enough to catch the attention of Sean “Puffy” Combs, a young producer at Uptown Entertainment, a New York-based label specializing in hip-hop and rhythm and blues. When Combs split off from Uptown to start his own label, Bad Boy Entertainment, he brought Smalls with him.Immediately, The Notorious B.I.G., as he now called himself, got to work, appearing on a 1993 remix of Mary J. Blige’s single, “Real Love,” and followed it up with a second Blige remix, “What’s the 411?” His debut as a solo artist came with the single, “Party and Bullshit,” on the soundtrack to the film, Who’s the Man? (1993).

Commercial Success

In 1994, The Notorious B.I.G. released his debut album, Ready to Die, which told the story of his life, from drug dealer to rapper. Backed with hits like “Juicy” and “Big Poppa,” the record went platinum and the young hip-hop artist became a full-fledged star. That same year, The Source named the rapper “Best New Artist,” “Best Live Performer” and “Lyricist of the Year.”

As his star power increased, Biggie did his best to share his prestige. He backed the work of several rappers that he’d originally performed with while starting out in Brooklyn, and took to the studio in support of other artists on Sean “Puffy” Combs’s label. He also teamed up with such stars as Michael Jackson and R. Kelly. By the close of 1995, Biggie was one of music’s best-selling and most sought after performers.

Troubled Times

However, success and wealth hardly brought peace to Biggie’s life. In the immediate aftermath of Ready to Die‘s popularity, the rapper found himself in constant fear. In 1994, he told The New York Times that he was disliked for having more money, which came with his fame. The large rapper—at 6 feet and three inches, and tipping the scales at nearly 400 pounds—said that he jumped whenever the door to his apartment building opened, fearing that someone might want to hurt him.Biggie’s fear led to anxiety, which led to spurts of aggression. In May 1995, he allegedly beat up a man after they got into a dispute over a canceled performance. Later, he took a baseball bat to a group of autograph seekers. His most famous battles, however, occurred with others in the hip-hop industry, most notably with Tupac Shakur, Marion “Suge” Knight and Death Row Records. The rivalry turned into an East Coast-West Coast feud (with Combs and Biggie representing the East), and the tension escalated in 1994, when Shakur and a member of the Wu-Tang Clan were shot and robbed. The two men survived and Shakur came out blazing, accusing Biggie and Combs of orchestrating the attack. Both vehemently denied the accusation.Shakur added fuel to the flames with a pointed slam on the East Coast rap world in the single, “Hit ‘Em Up,” in which he claimed to have slept with Biggie’s wife, Faith Evans. In September 1996, East Coast-West Coast battle heated up even further, when Shakur was murdered in a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas. Rumors of Biggie’s involvement immediately began to make the rounds, and when the rapper was one of the few hip-hop artists not to make an appearance at an anti-violence summit that was held in Harlem a few weeks later, the finger-pointing intensified.

Murder and Speculation

Shakur’s death amplified Biggie’s fears about his own life, and his concern was tragically validated on March 9, 1997. Biggie, who had just come out of the Soul Train Music Awards, was sitting in an SUV when another vehicle pulled up to his car, opened fire and killed him. Biggie was only 24 years old at the time.

For many fans, the murder was viewed as retaliation for Shakur’s murder. Biggie’s death shook the music world, prompting fears that the hip-hop world might erupt into a full-fledged war, ending numerous other lives. That didn’t happen, fortunately, but Biggie’s friends, family and fans never received any answers regarding his death. Despite years of speculation regarding the identity of the gunman, Biggie’s case was never solved. Biggie’s family has been outspoken about its disappointment with the handling of the case, going as far as accusing the Los Angeles Police Department of employing rogue officers who were involved in the murder.

In 2002, filmmaker Nick Broomfield released the documentary Biggie and Tupac, which featured a round of interviews with people associated with both men. More recently, in May 2012, former L.A. police detective Greg Kading, who had worked on Biggie’s case, told VH1 that he had incriminating evidence against Wardell “Poochie” Fouse, a gang member belonging to the Mob Piru Bloods. Kading, who had quit the LAPD after he was pulled from the case, asserts that the murder will never be solved.

LEGACY Biggie’s death came just as the rapper was about to put out his second album, Life After Death. In the wake of Biggie’s killing, the record was a giant hit, selling nearly 700,000 copies in its first week. Two years later, Born Again, an album of unreleased material from Biggie, was released. A third album of extra material, Duets: The Final Chapter, was released in 2005.Today, Biggie is still one of the music industry’s most admired hip-hop artists. Several musicians have paid tribute to Biggie by mentioning him in their songs, and his musical style has been emulated by countless up-and-coming artists. Undoubtedly, Biggie’s talent as a writer and rapper will continue to be acknowledged for decades to come.

#‎RIP‬ to the ‪#‎King‬ of the ‪#‎Blues‬ World Wide – Mr. ‪#‎BBKing‬. The man embodied everything about the ‪#‎music‬, and while he’ll be missed, ‪#‎Lucille‬will live on forever. ‪#‎RestInPeace‬‪#‎KingoftheBlues‬
The Blue Note Entertainment Group and B.B. King Blues Club family is deeply saddened by the loss of the legendary “King of the Blues” BB King. Our relationship with B.B. goes back over 20 years, to when he played at the Blue Note Jazz Club, NY and was strengthened when we decided to open a venue together. Our sincere condolences go out to his family. Today, we’ve lost one of the greatest musicians of all time and a dear friend. We hope that his legacy lives on at B.B. King Blues Club in Times Square NYC where we will continue to celebrate his life.

Bob Marley Biography

Songwriter, Singer (1945–1981)

Jamaican singer, musician and songwriter Bob Marley served as a world ambassador for reggae music and sold more than 20 million records throughout his career—making him the first international superstar to emerge from the so-called Third World.

Synopsis

Bob Marley was born on February 6, 1945, in St. Ann Parish, Jamaica. In 1963, Marley and his friends formed the Wailing Wailers. The Wailers’ big break came in 1972, when they landed a contract with Island Records. Marley went on to sell more than 20 million records throughout his career, making him the first international superstar to emerge from the so-called Third World. He died in Miami, Florida, on May 11, 1981.

Early Life in Jamaica

Born on February 6, 1945, in St. Ann Parish, Jamaica, Bob Marley helped introduce reggae music to the world and remains one of the genre’s most beloved artists to this day. The son of a black teenage mother and much older, later absent white father, he spent his early years in St. Ann Parish, in the rural village known as Nine Miles.

One of his childhood friends in St. Ann was Neville “Bunny” O’Riley Livingston. Attending the same school, the two shared a love of music. Bunny inspired Bob to learn to play the guitar. Later Livingston’s father and Marley’s mother became involved, and they all lived together for a time in Kingston, according to Christopher John Farley’s Before the Legend: The Rise of Bob Marley.

Arriving in Kingston in the late 1950s, Marley lived in Trench Town, one of the city’s poorest neighborhoods. He struggled in poverty, but he found inspiration in the music around him. Trench Town had a number of successful local performers and was considered the Motown of Jamaica. Sounds from the United States also drifted in over the radio and through jukeboxes. Marley liked such artists as Ray Charles, Elvis Presley, Fats Domino, and the Drifters.

Marley and Livingston devoted much of their time to music. Under the guidance of Joe Higgs, Marley worked on improving his singing abilities. He met another student of Higgs, Peter McIntosh (later Peter Tosh) who would play an important role in Marley’s career.

The Wailers

A local record producer, Leslie Kong, liked Marley’s vocals and had him record a few singles, the first of which was “Judge Not,” released in 1962. While he did not fare well as a solo artist, Marley found some success joining forces with his friends. In 1963, Marley, Livingston, and McIntosh formed the Wailing Wailers. Their first single, “Simmer Down,” went to the top of the Jamaican charts in January 1964. By this time, the group also included Junior Braithwaite, Beverly Kelso and Cherry Smith.

The group became quite popular in Jamaica, but they had difficulty making it financially. Braithewaite, Kelso, and Smith left the group. The remaining members drifted a part for a time. Marley went to the United States where his mother was now living. However, before he left, he married Rita Anderson on February 10, 1966.

After eight months, Marley returned to Jamaica. He reunited with Livingston and McIntosh to form the Wailers. Around this time, Marley was exploring his spiritual side and developing a growing interest in the Rastafarian movement. Both religious and political, the Rastafarian movement began in Jamaica in 1930s and drew its beliefs from many sources, including Jamaican nationalist Marcus Garvey, the Old Testament, and their African heritage and culture.

For a time in the late 1960s, Marley worked with pop singer Johnny Nash. Nash scored a worldwide hit with Marley’s song “Stir It Up.” The Wailers also worked with producer Lee Perry during this era; some of their successful songs together were “Trench Town Rock,” “Soul Rebel” and “Four Hundred Years.”

The Wailers added two new members in 1970: bassist Aston “Family Man” Barrett and his brother, drummer Carlton “Carlie” Barrett. The following year, Marley worked on a movie soundtrack in Sweden with Johnny Nash.

Big Break

The Wailers got their big break in 1972 when they landed a contract with Island Records, founded by Chris Blackwell. For the first time, the group hit the studios to record a full album. The result was the critically acclaimedCatch a Fire. To support the record, the Wailers toured Britain and the United States in 1973, performing as an opening act for both Bruce Springsteen and Sly & the Family Stone. That same year, the group released their second full album, Burnin’, featuring the hit song “I Shot the Sheriff.” Rock legend Eric Clapton released a cover of the song in 1974, and it became a No. 1 hit in the United States.

Before releasing their next album, 1975’s Natty Dread, two of the three original Wailers left the group; McIntosh and Livingston decided to pursue solo careers as Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer, respectively. Natty Dreadreflected some of the political tensions in Jamaica between the People’s National Party and the Jamaica Labour Party. Violence sometimes erupted due to these conflicts. “Rebel Music (3 O’clock Road Block)” was inspired by Marley’s own experience of being stopped by army members late one night prior to the 1972 national elections, and “Revolution” was interpreted by many as Marley’s endorsement for the PNP.

For their next tour, the Wailers performed with I-Threes, a female group whose members included Marcia Griffiths, Judy Mowatt and Marley’s wife, Rita. Now called Bob Marley & The Wailers, the group toured extensively and helped increase reggae’s popularity abroad. In Britain in 1975, they scored their first Top 40 hit with “No Woman, No Cry.”

Already a much-admired star in his native Jamaica, Marley was on his way to becoming an international music icon. He made the U.S. music charts with the album Rastaman Vibration in 1976. One track stands out as an expression of his devotion to his faith and his interest in political change: “War.” The song’s lyrics were taken from a speech by Haile Selassie, the 20th century Ethiopian emperor who is seen as a type of a spiritual leader in the Rastafarian movement. A battle cry for freedom from oppression, the song discusses a new Africa, one without the racial hierarchy enforced by colonial rule.

Politics and Assassination Attempt

Back in Jamaica, Marley continued to be seen as a supporter of the People’s National Party. And his influence in his native land was seen as a threat to the PNP’s rivals. This may have led to the assassination attempt on Marley in 1976. A group of gunmen attacked Marley and the Wailers while they were rehearsing on the night of December 3, 1976, two days before a planned concert in Kingston’s National Heroes Park. One bullet struck Marley in the sternum and the bicep, and another hit his wife, Rita, in the head. Fortunately, the Marleys were not severely injured, but manager Don Taylor was not as fortunate. Shot five times, Taylor had to undergo surgery to save his life. Despite the attack and after much deliberation, Marley still played at the show. The motivation behind the attack was never uncovered, and Marley fled the country the day after the concert.

Living in London, England, Marley went to work on Exodus, which was released in 1977. The title track draws an analogy between the biblical story of Moses and the Israelites leaving exile and his own situation. The song also discusses returning to Africa. The concept of Africans and descendents of Africans repatriating their homeland can be linked to the work of Marcus Garvey. Released as a single, “Exodus” was a hit in Britain, as were “Waiting in Vain” and “Jamming,” and the entire album stayed on the U.K. charts for more than a year. Today, Exodus is considered to be one of the best albums ever made.

Marley had a health scare in 1977. He sought treatment in July of that year on a toe he had injured earlier that year. After discovering cancerous cells in his toe, doctors suggested amputation. Marley refused to have the surgery, however, because his religious beliefs prohibited amputation.

Redemption Song

While working on Exodus, Marley and the Wailers recorded songs that were later released on the album Kaya (1978). With love as its theme, the work featured two hits: “Satisfy My Soul” and “Is This Love.” Also in 1978, Marley returned to Jamaica to perform his One Love Peace Concert, where he got Prime Minister Michael Manley of the PNP and opposition leader Edward Seaga of the JLP to shake hands on stage.

That same year, Marley made his first trip to Africa, and visited Kenya and Ethiopia—an especially important nation to him, as it’s viewed as the spiritual homeland of Rastafarians. Perhaps inspired by his travels, his next album, Survival (1979), was seen as a call for both greater unity and an end to oppression on the African continent. In 1980, Bob Marley & The Wailers played an official independence ceremony for the new nation of Zimbabwe.

A huge international success, Uprising (1980) featured “Could You Be Loved” and “Redemption Song.” Known for its poetic lyrics and social and political importance, the pared down, folk-sounding “Redemption Song” was an illustration of Marley’s talents as a songwriter. One line from the song reads: “Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery; none but ourselves can free our minds.”

On tour to support the album, Bob Marley & The Wailers traveled throughout Europe, playing in front of large crowds. The group also planned a series of concerts in the United States, but the group would play only two concerts—at Madison Square Garden in New York City—before Marley became ill. The cancer discovered earlier in his toe had spread throughout his body.

Sean “Diddy” Combs is the latest Hip Hop figure to become the subject of a college class. New York University’s Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music is offering “Topics: Sean Combs & Urban Culture” at the Tisch School of the Arts.

The course is being taught by Jayson Jackson. Professor Jackson was formerly Vice President of Marketing and Promotions at Diddy’s Bad Boy Entertainment. His resume also includes stints at Columbia Records, Mercury Records, and Def Jam.

“A Genius Leaves The Hood: The Unauthorized Story of Jay Z” chronicles how hip-hop’s most successful rapper of the past two decades reached the top; but at its core, the film attempts to divulge the savvy and cunning business acumen of a mogul who decided being at the top of the charts wasn’t enough. This 60-minute unauthorized biography explores the mind of a man who never played by the rules and admits it. This film uncovers the price Mr. Carter paid for his success through recent controversies that include the racial debate of the Barneys deal, the feud with Harry Belafonte, and clashes with community activists over the construction of the Barclay Center. The film also explores rumors of association with the Illuminati, a highly publicized separation from the Roc-A-Fella crew, his estranged relationship with rapping mentor Jaz-O, and his break up with business partner Damon Dash. Through in-depth interviews with friends, former business partners, music industry executives, authors and journalists, this exploratory biopic gives the novice, the fan, the critic and the non-believer an uncensored look at Jay Z’s journey from Marcy Projects to Madison Avenue and beyond. As a drug dealer, turned rapper, turned CEO, turned author, turned sports agent, viewers will discover what drove Jay-Z to seek unlimited wealth, how he positioned himself to achieve this wealth, and whether criticism is warranted for someone who successfully pursued the American dream.

About The Film

On the surface, A Genius Leaves The Hood: The Unauthorized Story of Jay Z chronicles how hip-hop’s most successful rapper of the past two decades reached the top; but at its core, the film attempts to divulge the savvy and cunning business acumen of a mogul who decided that being at the top of the charts wasn’t enough. This 60-minute unauthorized biography explores the mind of a man who never played by the rules and admits it.

A Genius Leaves The Hood: The Unauthorized Story of Jay Z uncovers the price Mr. Carter paid for his success through recent controversies including the racial debate of the Barneys deal, feud with Harry Belafonte and clashes with community activists over the construction of the Barclay Center. The film also explores rumors of association with the Illuminati, a highly publicized separation from the Roc-A-Fella crew, his estranged relationship with rapping mentor Jaz-O and break up with business partner Damon Dash.

Through in-depth interviews with friends, former business partners, music industry executives, authors and journalists, this exploratory biopic gives the novice, the fan, the critic and the non-believer an uncensored look at Jay Z’s journey from Marcy Projects to Madison Avenue and beyond. As a drug dealer, turned rapper, turned CEO, turned author, turned sports agent, viewers will discover what drove Jay Z to seek unlimited wealth, how he positioned himself to achieve this wealth and whether criticism is warranted for someone who successfully pursued the American dream.

– See more at: http://moguldomstudios.com/films/genius-leaves-hood/?utm_source=hiphopwired&utm_medium=cobranded&utm_content=reskinitunesgoogle&utm_campaign=AGLTH.Desktop.USA#sthash.ZLQT8W3K.dpuf

Today, Biggie is still one of the music industry’s most admired hip-hop artists. Several musicians have paid tribute to Biggie by mentioning him in their songs, and his musical style has been emulated by countless up-and-coming artists. Undoubtedly, Biggie’s talent as a writer and rapper will continue to be acknowledged for decades to come.

About Multihop

MultiHop.TV, through a fusion of multimedia art and Hip Hop music, introduces a hot new mix of elements to the entertainment scene for young people including fashion shows, live art, digital video, tv broadcasts, live music performances,etc.

00:00

00:00

About Multihop

MultiHop.TV, through a fusion of multimedia art and Hip Hop music, introduces a hot new mix of elements to the entertainment scene for young people including fashion shows, live art, digital video, tv broadcasts, live music performances,etc.